To niche or not to niche?
Originally published on Email Octopus.
Hi friend!
Welcome to the last quarter of 2021!
First of all, thanks so much for subscribing to my newsletter.
To be honest, I haven't decided what kind of newsletter I'd like to share yet. I don't think I'll be sending out a weekly or even a biweekly newsletter because I feel it might be too forceful if I don't have many updates or learnings to share.
For now, think of it as a work in progress :) If you'd like to suggest, I'm happy to listen! Just reply to this email.
Important announcement
I'm now unemployed!
It's funny to imagine how I'm getting congratulated by friends for not having a job anymore. It's the new norm.
I'm taking the last quarter of the year off to explore the creator's path. What I mean by "explore" is to continue creating through writing, drawing, and filming. Through this, my hope is I'll be able to find a "niche" that I want to focus on in the upcoming year.
I've always been a generalist, but niching down does not mean forever tying down to a subject. But my concern is what if I'll be switching niches every 3 months or so which is... maybe okay? But people who are following me will be utterly confused all the time so I'd feel bad for them 😂
Jokes aside, my q4 end goal would be to identify a niche to focus on.
My plans after? Not sure. I'm more of a go with what feels right sort of person, rather than here's my 1-3-5 year plan. I may or may not become a full-time indie creator depending on how the next 3 months go, but regardless of the outcome, I'll still be creating and making as always.
Ending the newsletter with a fantastic picking-a-niche tweet from Amanda Natividad and a reply from Kevon Cheung.
Picking a niche opens up more opportunities for you.
I know we are all complex people who don't want to be pigeon-holed.
But narrowing your focus of content informs people what they should reach out to you for. You'll create your own serendipity.— Amanda Natividad (@amandanat) September 30, 2021
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I think most people mix up picking a niche and having a personality/voice.
Picking a niche doesn’t mean you can’t talk about other things.
It just means you should at least be 80% within expectation of what people want from you, the 20%? Have fun! Be authentic— Kevon Cheung 🥦 (@MeetKevon) September 30, 2021
Enjoy the rest of the week, and good luck with your last quarter goals!
Feel free to share your goals with me by replying to this email. I might take some time to get back to you, but rest assured I eventually will!
PS: I reflected and wrote about my Q3. If you're curious and haven't already, you can read it at the link below. It comes with more stuff about getting into the creator path.
Warmest regards,
Yihui Chan
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